Marlou may suit up for Realtors after all

Marlou Aquino may well end up with Sta. Lucia Realty after all.

Aquino's case got a clearer picture yesterday after Red Bull decided to keep its hands off the 6-foot-9 cager, withdrawing its offer sheet and leaving Sta. Lucia to wrestle with the problem.

This developed following a one-on-one meeting between team owners George Chua of Red Bull and Excy Robles of Sta. Lucia brokered by PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino Wednesday night.

With the controversial Red Bull offer sheet withdrawn, Aquino reportedly visited Robles at the Sta. Lucia offices for a talk late yesterday.

There were no reports whether Aquino was ready to start negotiation with the big land developing corporation but it was clear Sta. Lucia would keep its signing rights on the player.

Red Bull officials decided not to pursue their bid on Aquino apparently on the advice of the league commissioner, who also had a one-on-one talk with Chua Wednesday.

Red Bull rocked the league when it tendered Aquino an offer sheet with an "escape clause" which would make the player an unrestricted free agent by year 2001.

Sta. Lucia team manager Buddy Encarnado called it an "outrageous contract" and promised to question its legality once submitted to the Commissioner's Office.

Among the other salient features of the P6 million one-year contract are a lucrative bonus package, a no-trade clause and a minimum playing time of 40 minutes.

Other PBA officials symphatized with Sta. Lucia, wary this "escape clause" may become a precedent and mess up the league's player recruitment system.

And though its problem with Aquino still up in the air, Sta. Lucia found itself facing yet another problem with Fil-Am Rob Wainwright reportedly signing up with the Batangas Blades in the MBA.

The Cebu Gems' ace scorer in the MBA's first two seasons, Wainwright inked a three-year pact with Sta. Lucia last Jan. 3.